The present invention generally relates to a hinge structure and, more particularly, to a hinge structure for use in an automobile body structure for the hinged support of an engine compartment hood, a trunk lid or the like relative to the body structure.
Of numerous types of hinge structures currently available, the hinge structure of a construction shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is considered most pertinent to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the prior art hinge structure considered pertinent to the present invention comprises first and second hinge brackets 1 and 2 connected together by means of a hinge pin 3 for pivotal movement relative to each other. The first hinge bracket 1 has a fillet 1a protruding laterally threrefrom and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the hinge pin 3, said first hinge bracket 1 being secured to a stiffener plate 4 through the fillet 1a by the use of a plurality of, for example, two, bolts and nuts 5. With the first hinge bracket 1 so secured to the stiffener plate 4, the latter is backed by a backing plate 6 positioned on one side of the stiffening plate 4 opposite to the fillet 1a and held in position by the bolts and nuts 5 for improving the rigidity of the stiffening plate 4. The stiffening plate 4 carrying the first hinge bracket 1 has a flanged portion 4a welded to a front end portion 7a of an automobile engine compartment hood or bonnet 7 while that front end portion 7a is at the same time crimped to hold that flanged portion 4a of the stiffening plate 4.
On the other hand, the second hinge bracket 2 has a mounting fillet 2a protruding laterally therefrom and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the hinge pin 3, said second hinge bracket 2 being rigidly mounted on a flange 8a, which is rigidly secured to a radiator shroud 8, through the fillet 2a by the use of one or more bolts and nuts 9. The radiator shroud 8, thus carrying the second hinge bracket 2, is in turn secured to a partition wall 10a, which is rigidly secured to an automobile front body structure 10.
According to the prior art hinge structure, it is a general practice to connect the hood 7 hingedly to the mounting flange 8a by connecting the first hinge bracket 1, to the stiffening plate 4 and to the second hinge bracket 2 through the hinge pin 3, and then by connecting the second hinge bracket 2 to the mounting flange 8a.
The prior art hinge structure of the illustrated construction involves numerous disadvantages and inconveniences. By way of example, when the hood 7 is repeatedly opened and closed about the hinge pin 3, a load tends to act on localized areas of the hinge structure to such an extent as to cause the stiffening plate 4 and/or the radiator shroud 8 to be undesirably deformed. Once this deformation takes place, the hood 7 will no longer pivot in the original manner. In other words, even though the backing plate 6 is employed to reinforce the stiffening plate 4, it does not provide a sufficient resistance to prevent a bending or deformation of plate 4 and/or the shroud 8.
Moreover, the prior art hinge structure require the employment of the bolts and nuts in connecting the first and second hinge brackets to the hood and the radiator shroud, respectively. These bolts and nuts are generally exposed to the atmosphere and are thus apt to rust. In general, the rusty bolts and nuts may subsequently cause the rusting of the hood and/or the radiator shroud. In addition, the employment of the bolts and nuts requires a complicated and time-consuming operation to connect the first and second hinge brackets to the hood and the radiator shroud, respectively.